Jollof Rice with Chicken and Kidney Beans

Let's start with a picture.

This Senegalese classic is a lot like a Biryani (yes, Basmati rice).  The Jollof is made with a reduced chilli and tomato paste (scotch bonnet chillies, ideally if you have them).  If you bought mixed chillies, and there's a red one that resembles a scotch bonnet, that's fine too.  Kidney beans may be considered an unusual add..the combination exists though and, moreover, I like it. 

Prepare the dish by poaching chicken in a stock (almost a home made stock, although with the help of bouillon) and there's added garlic, ginger and chilli.   The stock will be used to cook rice, later.

Make a reduced tomato paste, with more chilli.  The paste should be sticky and inexpensive tinned plum tomatoes work perfectly well.

Use the carefully nurtured tomato paste, poached chicken stock (from cooking the thighs) and vegetables to cook the rice.

This isn't the easiest recipe to capture simply, I've tried my best.

Ingredients (2):

Tomato:

200g, tinned peeled plum tomatoes

1/4 scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped

Chicken and Stock:

2 reasonably sized bone in, skin on chicken thighs

Garlic and ginger paste (2 garlic cloves and 1 Tbsp ginger finely chopped with 1 tsp water, halved -see later)

1/2 scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped

1/2 chicken stock cube (or 200ml equivalent of chicken bouillon)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

1.5 cups of water

Soffrito:

2 medium carrots, diced (or 1 carrot and 1 sweet potato)

1/2 onion, diced

1/4 chilli, chopped (or more if you like chilli)

Half garlic and ginger paste (2 garlic cloves and 1 Tbsp ginger finely chopped with 1 tsp water, from above)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 fresh bay leaf

1 TBSP oil

1/4 tsp smoked salt

Rice and Beans:

2/3rds cup of basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes and drained

1/2 tin of red kidney beans

Method:

Reduce the tomato and chilli in a pan (around 20 minutes) until it has formed a paste.

Throw (my notes say this) everything for the chicken in a pan.  Simmer for 18 minutes.

Remove the chicken and retain stock for cooking the rice.

Fry the soffrito until lightly coloured and soft.

Add the home made, chilli tomato paste, cook 2-3 minutes.

Add basmati rice, stir.

Add 1 cup (240ml) of our special chicken stock and stir.

Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to very low and lid on.  Cook for 15 or so minutes.

Shred the chicken and portion 1/2 tin of kidney beans.  Stir both into the cooked rice.

Turn up the heat a little for a crispy rice bottom.

This classic is truly delicious.

More Pilau rice from Loïc:

Loïc's Chana Pulao with Corned Beef